Retirement and Successor for Arvest Bank’s Mark Larrabee
KBA’s Doug Wareham and Kathy Taylor recently attended a special retirement reception for Arvest Bank Greater Kansas City Market President Mark Larrabee. Larrabee is a former KBA Board Director and a long-time member of KBA’s Federal Affairs Committee. Also in attendance were Mark’s wife, Aimee, and Kelly Carlson, who was recently named Mark’s successor as Arvest Bank Greater Kansas City Market President & CEO. Congratulations, Mark and Kelly!
Dale Anders Retires After 42-Year Career in Banking
Dale Anders of rural Chapman, Kansas, is retiring after a distinguished 42-year career in the banking industry.
For the past decade, Dale served as Commercial Relationship Manager at INTRUST Bank, formerly Millennium Bank, in Junction City, where he helped support and grow local businesses and farms across the region.
Dale’s roots run deep in Kansas agriculture. Raised on a small swine and cattle farm outside of Eudora, Kansas, he learned early on the importance of financial stewardship. That foundation led him to pursue a degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University.
Following graduation, Dale began his professional journey as a State Bank Examiner and completed the Advanced FDIC School in Washington, D.C. In 1990, he graduated from the Graduate School of Banking in Boulder, Colorado.
Over the years, Dale provided vital agricultural and commercial lending services — first as a Loan Officer for 17 years at Dickinson County Bank in Enterprise, and later during a 10-year tenure at Exchange Bank in Junction City, formerly First National Bank and Trust.
Known for his steady leadership, integrity and deep commitment to the communities he served, Dale leaves a lasting legacy of trust and excellence.
In retirement, Dale looks forward to spending more time with his two grandchildren. He also plans to stay active through his volunteer work, preserving local history at the Dickinson County Historical Society and sharing his faith at Lyona United Methodist Church.
Dale’s career may be concluding, but his impact will continue to be felt for years to come.
Marr and Knipfer Graduate from the Advanced School of Banking
Kristin Marr, Retail Operations Manager, and Brenda Knipfer, Mortgage Manager, Citizens Bank of Kansas, Derby, recently graduated from the 2024-2025 Advanced School of Banking class.
The Advanced School of Banking is an intense two-year course of study designed to assist bankers in developing operational and managerial skills to better serve the needs of their bank and communities. Graduation from this school represents over 60 hours of classroom study and 50 hours of independent study to complete banking research projects.
“We prioritize the personal and professional advancement of our employees at CBK. We’re committed to investing in our staff and in doing so, our communities. We congratulate Brenda and Kristin on their graduation,” stated Stacy Gear, Citizens Bank of Kansas Chief Development Officer/SVP.
The School of Banking is a jointly owned nonprofit subsidiary of the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Associations, whose purpose is to provide occupational education for bankers.
Partnership in Financial Literacy
This past year, First Heritage Bank in Centralia, Kansas, partnered with the Centralia Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter to bring families in the community together for a fun evening of financial education at the Financial Literacy Night held at the Centralia Schools.
When Lanette Hiltibrand, Vice President of First Heritage Bank, was asked if the bank would be interested in partnering with the FBLA chapter on a Partnership with Business project, “It was an absolute YES!” said Lanette. “At our first meeting, Isabel and MaKenna, FBLA chapter members, suggested the idea of a Financial Literacy Night for families to gather and learn about family finances with games, crafts, financial resources from our bank and a warm meal. As they provided different ideas for the event’s booths and the areas our staff members could give our expertise, I knew this was what the community needed and what community banking is all about.”
The Financial Literacy Night reached over 100 individuals from the Centralia and Corning communities, while the FBLA members gained invaluable hands-on experience. The members worked through scheduling meetings between bank members and busy school schedules, gathering supplies and allocating workers for the event, marketing the event through flyers, radio broadcast and a newspaper publication, as well as surveying the K-6 grades to gauge their understanding of financial literacy.
“Community banking is relationship banking. We enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside our youth to help educate our community and to build a stronger financial foundation for the future,” said Lanette.
